Method for playing casino-style games of chance with pari-mutuel race outcomes

ABSTRACT

A method of playing a game of chance by mapping pari-mutuel racing event results to a die or a playing card value to represent a roll of a pair of dice or to represent a dealt hand for a player in games of chance is presented. Wagers are made based on the predicted outcome of the pari-mutuel racing event. Players may select either a house or a player pool from which to wager. The die or player card value is assigned based on the order of outcome of participants in the pari-mutuel event. A pool of wagers for either the player or the house is divided amongst the players who selected the winning pool. Games for chance could craps, backgammon or any number of card games, such as Blackjack or poker, or any other suitable games of chance.

The present invention relates to a method of playing and wagering games of chance based on the outcome of pari-mutuel races.

The game of craps is a popular casino game of chance, just as pari-mutuel racing events are popular national sports. Both date back centuries and yet a game of craps is based on pure luck, and the successful wagering on a pari-mutuel racing event relies on a number of features involving skill. Both are spectator and participator sports.

Pari-mutuel wagering is a type of wagering system in which all wagers of a particular type are placed together in a pool, taxes and a house take are removed, and payoff odds are calculated by sharing the pool among all placed wagers. Pari-mutuel gambling is frequently state-regulated, and offered in many places where gambling is otherwise illegal. Pari-mutuel gambling is often also offered at “off track” facilities, where players may wager on the events without actually being present to observe them in person. The pari-mutuel system may be used in gambling on horse racing, dog racing, jai alai, and any sporting event of relatively short duration in which participants finish in a ranked order. Pari-mutuel racing events, horseracing in particular, relies heavily on numerous factors, including weather, breeding, jockey trainer, etc. Therefore, to be successful at pari-mutuel wagering, the pari-mutuel gambler would typically need to have a fair level of skill and commitment to be able to accurately handicap and predict the outcome of the event.

On the other hand, a game of chance is a game whose outcome is strongly influenced by some randomizing device, and upon which the participants of the game frequently wager money. Common randomizing devices used can include for example, dice, spinning tops, playing cards, roulette wheels or numbered balls drawn from a container. Games of chance are commonly available in most casinos and may also be called casino games. In a casino game, the players gamble on various possible random outcomes or combinations of outcomes. Casino games are also available in popular online casinos, where permitted by law. However, in many locations, legal online casino wagering is not available.

One such popular casino game of chance is craps. Craps has many possible wagers, all dependent on the rolling of two equally weighted dice. Craps is dependent on the random outcome of the game and, therefore, is dependent solely on the roller of the dice. However, craps and pari-mutuel racing event wagering are attractive to the public because of camaraderie associated with each.

Backgammon is another game of chance and skill played by two persons upon a specially marked board divided by a space, called the bar, into two tables (inner table and outer table), each of which has twelve alternately colored points, or triangular spaces. Players move along the board according to the outcome of the roll of two equally weighted dice, and the object is to remove the other player's fifteen pieces, or disks, from the board first. The Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks, and Romans played a form of backgammon probably derived from the earlier Indian game of Parcheesi. After the 10th century A.D., the game became popular in Europe.

Another form of game of chance is card games. However, card games vary from the aforementioned dice oriented games. Nonetheless, they also can be adapted to be mapped to pari-mutuel racing event results and can be uniquely coordinated to allow for prize values in and above those normally associated with the prize pools associated with card based games.

Because pari-mutuel racing event wagering is legal, it would be beneficial to combine the excitement of a game of chance with pari-mutuel racing event wagering as a valid U.S. licensable game. Players will now have an opportunity to actually handicap their wagers before each race starts, and watch the actual races live via the online worldwide satellite feeds, Internet model, at participating tracks themselves on countless monitors, or on special television, cable and radio broadcast shows. It would add an exciting new realm of possibilities for both types of players by adding more wagering opportunities for the pari-mutuel player while, giving the new and seasoned craps players opportunity to win at greater pooled odds.

According to the present invention, a method of playing a game of chance by mapping pari-mutuel racing event results to a die or a card value to represent a roll of a pair of dice or to represent a dealt hand for a player in games of chance. Wagers are made based on the predicted outcome of the pari-mutuel racing event. A player may select to a house or a player pool from which to wager. The die or card value is assigned based on the order of outcome of participants in the pari-mutuel event. A pool of wagers is divided amongst the players who selected the winning pool.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the pari-mutuel racing event results are mapped to represent the possible roll of the dice for a casino game of chance, such as craps.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the pari-mutuel racing event results are mapped to represent the possible roll of the dice for a game of chance, such as backgammon.

In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, the pari-mutuel racing event results are mapped to represent the possible cards dealt in a hand of a typical card game.

Accordingly, it is a feature of the embodiments of the present invention to combine the playing and wagering excitement of a game of chance with pari-mutuel racing event wagering. Other features of the embodiments of the present invention will be apparent in light of the description of the invention embodied herein.

The following detailed description of specific embodiments of the present invention can be best understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings, where like structure is indicated with like reference numerals and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates the die value assignment to the order of pari-mutuel racing event participants according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates how the sum of the dice roll is determined when less than 12 entries compete in a pari-mutuel event according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 graphs the probability distribution for the sum of a pair of equally weighted dice roll.

FIG. 4A-G graphs the probability distribution by mapping seven to thirteen event entrants to an even dice roll sum according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates typical “morning line” odds, mapped to a pari-mutuel racing event according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates the probability distribution of an actual result of the pari-mutuel event resulting if all entrants were equal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates the probability distribution for f the actual results of a pari-mutuel race event, if all the participants were equal, and the line odds for the participants of the pari-mutuel race event according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 illustrates a typical craps table layout according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 illustrates a pari-mutuel craps table layout with pari-mutuel wagering odds according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 illustrates the dice sum probabilities for an actual pari-mutuel race according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 illustrates a pari-mutuel craps tote board and the expected odds for a pari-mutuel race according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 illustrates hypothetical output displays showing the mapped die assignment along with the corresponding pari-mutuel racing event according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the following detailed description of the embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration, and not by way of limitation, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that logical, mechanical and electrical changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Pari-mutuel results can be combined with games of chance. For example, with a pari-mutuel race event, the race results could be mapped to a game of chance that uses a pair of dice such as, for example, craps. In this embodiment, each participant in the race can be assigned a possible die value (i.e., a value between 1 and 6). Rather than dice randomly thrown down a table, the odds can be pooled for each race, consisting of the first six to twelve event entrants being designated die value, for example, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Wildcard variations and undesignated runners can replace last minute scratches, injuries, acts of God, for example, incorporating the wagering odds, adjustable traditional craps table odds, the pari-mutuel game of chance players can have an opportunity to actually handicap their wagers before each pari-mutuel race starts, and watch the actual events live via: for example, the online worldwide live satellite feeds, Internet based wagering networks, or on the track's wagering websites. Television, cable and radio broadcasts can be found as the global Internet adds an entirely new dimension to both pari-mutuel racing and, traditional craps.

After assigning the first six participants in the pari-mutuel event to the possible die values 1 through 6, the die values will continue to be assigned to the participants for the number of participants over six. For example, the seventh participant would be assigned the die value of 1, the eighth participant would have a die value of 2, the ninth participant would have a die value assignment of 9 and so on as illustrated in FIG. 1. The craps dice roll would then correspond to the value of the sum of the die values assigned to the participants of the first and second place finishers in the pari-mutuel race. For example using the assigned die values shown in FIG. 1, if the third participant finishes first (with a die assignment of 3) and the first participant finishes second (with a die assignment of 1), the sum of the dice roll would be 4 (i.e., 3+1).

Referring to FIG. 2, however, if there are less than twelve participants in the race and the last participant comes in second place, some possible dice sums may not happen. In this case, the participant's die value assignment of the first place finisher will be used twice. This calculation ensures that all possible dice roll sums (i.e., 2 to 12) occur when there are less than twelve participants in the pari-mutuel race event and the last participant comes in second.

In all cases, the order of finish is important. Again referring to the table in FIG. 2, for example, if the first participant comes in first and the ninth participant comes in second, the mapped dice roll will have a sum of 2 (i.e., 1+1). Since the last participant, in this case the ninth participant, came in second and there were less than twelve participants, the die value assignment of the first place finisher, in this case the first participant, will be multiplied by two. However, if the ninth participant were to come in first and the first participant were to come in second, the dice roll will have a sum of 4 (i.e., 3+1).

The probability distribution for pari-mutuel race events can be substantially the same as a random dice roll if all participants have an equal chance of winning. Since no random elements are introduced, there can be a deterministic mapping of the pari-mutuel race results to a dice roll in craps game of chance. FIG. 3 illustrates the probability distribution of each dice sum for two random equally weighted dice. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the seven sum is most likely with the sums of two and twelve being the least likely. The mapping method does not have to fit the probability distribution of the sum of two equally weighted dice exactly, but making the mapping as substantially similar to the probability distribution of two dice as possible can create a more accurate game result.

FIG. 4A graphs the probability distribution of dice sums when using deterministic mapping and seven participants versus the probability distribution of two random equally weighted dice. As can be seen in FIG. 4A, generally lower dice sums tend to be more probable than higher values. This is due to the fact that the die value 1 is represented twice (i.e., assigned to the first and seventh participants). FIGS. 4B-5E also illustrate the skewing of the probability distributions when mapping eight through eleven participants, respectively. For example, in FIG. 4C which maps the probability for nine participants, the results are still skewed toward low sum outcomes since the die values of 4, 5 and 6 have only one participant assign to them (i.e., the fourth, fifth and sixth participants) and the die values 1, 2, and 3 have two participants assigned to them. Overall, the probability distribution can be substantially similar to the probability distribution of random dice. However, when mapping twelve participants, the probability distribution of the twelve participants can be substantially the same as using two random equally weighted dice as seen in FIG. 4F, assuming each participant has an equal chance of winning. Using more than twelve participants also does not generally affect the probability distribution as seen in FIG. 4G which graphs the probability distribution of thirteen participants versus the probability distribution of the pair of dice.

However, the real probability distribution depends on skill of the individual participants in the pari-mutuel racing event. Typically, a pari-mutuel race comprises participants who are clear favorites that have better odds of winning and participants who are long shots that are unlikely to win. FIG. 5 illustrates a morning line taken from a resource on pari-mutuel racing event information such as, for example, Equibase. Given a set of odds, it can be possible to calculate the probability of a particular participant winning. In the example of FIG. 5, since there are only eleven participants in the event, the deterministic mapping can be performed to achieve all possible dice roll sums. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the results of the actual race can be different than those of the expected race results where each participant is given an equal chance of winning.

Again, the probability distribution can be dependent on the chance of winning of each participant. Therefore, it may be beneficial to rearrange the die assignments based on the odds of each participant rather than strictly based on the order of participants. As illustrated in FIG. 7A, the long shots for a race event can be assigned to the start and end of the lineup and the favorites (i.e., the participants with the lowest odds) can be place towards the middle of the order. This rearrangement can help create a more balanced probability distribution that more closely approximating random dice. In a real race event, the actual participant lineup for races is assigned randomly. In pari-mutuel games of chance, the order of the participants can then be rearranged using the available morning lines and the die values assigned. The conversion of the die value for each participant can be available to the players of the game of chance at the start of the race. FIG. 7B illustrates the effect of reordering the participants based on the morning line versus the original order of participants. As can be seen in FIG. 7B, the rearranging of the order of participants based on the morning odds can be beneficial to savvy handicappers for placing wagers. As illustrated in FIG. 7B, the savvy handicapper may recognize that a sum of 4 may be more likely and, therefore, a “place 4” wager in a pari-mutuel game of craps may give very good odds of winning since this dice roll sum may be more likely based on the pooled handicap wagers placed by the players.

In traditional casino-based craps, there are fixed payout odds based on the dice roll outcomes with the player winning or losing that are set to give an edge to the house. If the player wins, he or she is paid out at the prescribed odds, otherwise the casino keeps the wager. With craps based on pari-mutuel racing events, the craps wagers can have variable pari-mutuel odds. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, savvy wager makers can also handicap the pari-mutuel crap wagers. The advance line can be map to the craps odds. The wagers will have odds that can be based on a live wagering pool, where the pool will be divided on the winning wagers. The house will take a percentage of the wagering pool. The odds will change up to the race/roll time. However, the wager pooling may be complicated for some crap wagers. For example, pass and don't pass type wagers might require several pools. Therefore, pool carry over may be necessary as seen in exotic wagers such as, for example, Pick Six, Daily Double and Trifecta pari-mutuel wagering. For example, 2 and 12 on come out and 7 on point may require the wagers to be carried over to the next race.

Traditional craps wagers pit the players against the house, with different wagers having different fixed payout odds. To turn craps wagering into a pari-mutuel model, every craps wager may be treated as a unique wagering pool. In pari-mutuel wagering, players can wager on the outcome of an event (such as, for example, the winner of a horse race). Odds can be established prior to the pari-mutuel event via a mathematical model that assigns odds according to the funds that are wagered on each potential winner or outcome. Less money wagered on an outcome means higher payout odds

With pari-mutuel craps, for each wager at the craps table, players may have the usual option to wager as the player, or as the house. These two options for every wager comprise two pari-mutuel wagering pools. For example, the wagers for the player win, if the wager is successful for the player, and the wagers for the house win, if the player loses.

For example, consider a “place six” wager. This wager wins for the player if a six outcome occurs before a seven. The house wins if a seven occurs first. All other outcomes mean the player re-rolls the dice. In traditional craps, the “place six” wager maker is paid 7 to 6 on a win (i.e., if they wagered $6, they earn $7 in profit). However, if a seven is rolled before a six, then the house keeps the $6 wager.

In pari-mutuel craps, two different kinds of “place six” wagers can be accept for all craps wagers: a wager for the player and a wager for the house. For example, if $1000 in total was wagered for the player and $1500 for the house, after the house takes its 5% take (i.e., the amount of all wager pools which goes to the house), the wager pool is left with $2375. The pari-mutuel odds for a two-outcome event can be simple to compute:

Player odds: ($2375−$1000) to $1000=1.375 to 1

House odds: ($2375−$1500) to $1500=0.583 to 1 (1 to 1.72)

Therefore, if a sum of six is rolled before a sum of seven, then each $1 player wager is paid out $1.37 (plus the original $1 wager). If the sum of seven comes out before the sum of six, each house wager is paid out 58 cents (plus the original $1 wager). In either case, the original wager pool of $2375 is exhausted, as expected.

All of the available craps wagers can be handled in exactly the same way, giving all wager makers the option to wager on the player or wager on the house. The two wager pools for each wager strictly determine the final odds. However, the “don't pass” wager in craps may not be the equivalent of wagering with the house on the pass line, since the don't wager maker actually pushes their wager on a come out roll of 12.

As with typical pari-mutuel racing, the payout odds for every available wager in pari-mutuel craps can vary up until race time. This exciting dynamic can be preserved in pari-mutuel craps, as savvy handicappers strive to find the wagers with the best payouts, based on their expectation for the pari-mutuel race outcomes.

Ensuring a fair pari-mutuel wagering model effectively doubles the number of wagering options for the pari-mutuel craps player, but can be a favorable change since the player can now choose to wager with the house, not just against it.

To model an actual game, pari-mutuel craps may need a large pool of live pari-mutuel races to use for the dice rolls. The pari-mutuel race being used for the upcoming roll can be displayed to the players, so that handicappers can base their wagering decisions on the expected outcomes. Wagers can be collected, and a tote board shows the wager pools and odds for each wager (both for the player and for the house). All wagering can be halted once the race begins, the race completes, and the dice roll determined. Wagers that are finished can be paid out, while wagers that are not resolved stay around for the next race, to be paid out eventually (such as, for example, come or place wagers).

In traditional craps, the dice can be rolled every minute or two. An enjoyable pace for pari-mutuel craps may require a dice roll every 5 minutes. This may require live pari-mutuel racing feeds from a broad geographic range (for example, state, country or worldwide). A secure live feed of race results will be used, along with closing the wagering well before the race actually starts, to ensure a fair game.

Using live pari-mutuel race results, the pari-mutuel craps game can be a mapping, or variation, of legalized pari-mutuel wagering. The dice rolls map in a deterministic, transparent and non-random way directly to race results. By allowing wagers both for the player and for the house for every pari-mutuel craps wager, a simple two-pool pari-mutuel wagering system may be created. Lastly, using live race results means players can be in effect wagering in an exciting variation of a normal pari-mutuel wagering. All combined, pari-mutuel craps can meet all the requirements of legalized track wagering, while providing the rich casino action of craps.

Using historic race results involves collecting accurate and timely live race results in pari-mutuel craps, especially with the potential five minute re-roll requirements, may prove challenging. An alternative may be to use historic race results for the dice rolls. This would require the selection of the races for each dice roll to be done randomly, from a very large pool of past races.

Using historic race results does present some problems. For example, players can no longer use horse handicapping information to bias their wagering decisions, since the races are selected randomly and by introducing an element of chance (random race selection), an absolute mapping to track wagering cannot be accomplished. This method more closely parallels a recent attempt to map horse racing to slot machines, using a similar randomizing strategy for the spin of the wheels.

The Tote Board shows players the odds for each available craps wager for the coming race. Using the pari-mutuel wagering method, players can wager for the player or the house on each and every wager. This creates two wagering pools for every craps wager.

In additional to the basic odds, any given predicted odds or morning line for the upcoming race can be converted into expected odds for the craps wagers. Handicappers can take this information into account, choosing to wager on craps wagers where the supplied pari-mutuel craps odds may be better than the expected odds.

Using the morning odds shown in FIG. 5, the race morning line odds can be converted into probabilities for each dice sum outcome. From this data, the expected probability for any given craps wager to win and lose is computed as shown in FIG. 10. Players now choose to make live craps wagers prior to the race, with the additional option to wager as the player or with the house (i.e. they win if the casino would have won the wager). Two wagering pools for every such craps wager can be created, the house take and taxes can be subtracted, and the simple pari-mutuel odds can be computed. This yields the real Tote Board odds for both the player and house sides of every craps wager. For example, consider three different craps wagers with a supposed pool of wagers (place 6, place 8, any seven):

The probabilities that a wager wins can be simple to compute once there are the individual sum outcome probabilities. While the ‘any seven’ wager is a one-roll wager (i.e. resolved immediately after the next race), the place wagers make take several rolls. To simplify the expected odds calculation, it is assumed the same dice sum probabilities throughout, but it is possible to factor in all the upcoming morning line race data if it is available. Either way, the expected line may be only a prediction aid for the handicapper, so this assumption may be reasonable.

From the wager probabilities, the actual expected odds for both the player and house wagers are computed. Since all player wagers in traditional craps have less than 50% chance of occurring (i.e. the house is more likely to win), the expected player odds can be generally better than 1 to 1. This does depend, of course, on the morning line and expected dice sums. It is possible to see less than 1 to 1 expected odds if the dice sum outcome probabilities vary significantly from the norm.

Now wagers are accepted from the pari-mutuel craps players, for either the player or the house. This creates two wagering pools for every craps wager. Using a simple two-event pari-mutuel wagering model, the actual player and house odds can be derived and given to the pari-mutuel craps players. Like any Tote Board, these odds change up to race time as wagers are collected The odds factor in the house take and taxes, which are deducted from the total wagering pool before the pari-mutuel odds can be computed. For this example, a total cut of 5% was assumed.

Referring to FIG. 11, the savvy handicapper can see that the wagering a place 8 with the player provides better odds than expected (1.49:1 is better than the expected 1.31:1). Also, wagering with the house on the any seven craps wager yields am expected edge (1:2.35 is better than 1:4.46). All the other wagers are not better than expected, so the handicapping wager maker ignores them. Some craps wagers do not yield an advantage for either the house or player due to the house take. In practice, the handicapper is looking for wagers where the discrepancy between the expected outcome and the actual odds are greater than the cost of the house take

The pooling of interstate and international wagering funds pooled into the live pari-mutuel game of chance can create infinite variables, not only increasing the number of wagers made, but in the alliance presented by joining multiple entities that now operate autonomously. All venues of pari-mutuel racing such as, for example: brick and mortar casinos, racetracks, and online gaming companies benefit from the interstate simulcast and wagering that allows for an entirely new set of games to be offered by online gaming companies that would otherwise not be available.

The supplemental pari-mutuel pools, both increasing and decreasing the odds, and the payoffs, of any game referenced herein are directed to the games of chance themselves, such as pari-mutuel craps. Consequently, the odds associated with standard craps games will fluctuate depending on an algorithm combining the starting odds of the pari-mutuel races and the traditional odds associated with wagers based on the outcome of rolled dice.

In one embodiment, where the game of chance is craps, the odds on the Pass Line Bet are highest in a standard craps table wager. The pass line wager is made before a “point” is established. If a 7 or 11, as designated by the outcome of the given race(s), is the outcome of the primary pari-mutuel “craps roll,” it is an immediate winner. Alternatively, if the race results equal an outcome of 2, 3 or 12, then it is an immediate loser. Any other outcome of the races, other than those above, becomes the player's Pass Line Point. This number, as represented by the pari-mutuel race outcome, must be repeated before a 7 results from the following pari-mutuel race(s).

FIG. 8 illustrates a typical craps table layout. The PASS and COME fields are identified but the odds are not. The COME Odds are laid after the ‘Point’ is established as follows in a normal craps game:

-   -   If the point is 4 or 10: Payoff on odds wager is 1 unit for         every 2 units laid as odds, adjusted accordingly to the         pari-mutuel odds and/or total amount wagered on each winner         representing the traditional dice.     -   If the point is 5 or 9: Payoff on odds wager is 2 units for         every 3 units laid as odds adjusted accordingly to the         pari-mutuel odds and/or total amount wagered on each winner         representing the traditional dice.     -   If the point is 6 or 8: Payoff on odds wager is 5 units for         every 6 units laid as odds adjusted accordingly to the         pari-mutuel odds and/or total amount wagered on each winner         representing the traditional dice.

Without free odds the house has approximately 1.4% advantage on all Don't Pass or Come wagers. When an algorithm combining the pari-mutuel odds with the standard odds, an entirely new set of odds come into play, odds calculable only after the final odds have been closed on the tote boards of the pari-mutuel racing event have been closed.

Referring to FIG. 9 which illustrates a pari-mutuel craps table layout with pari-mutuel wagering odds, the standard layout of the craps table remains substantially the same, though the odds on each of the individual wagering areas may change as the final pari-mutuel odds are decided when the race wagering closes as the minutes to post expire. The pari-mutuel craps table can be easily observed by the player in a number of ways.

An international wagering hub may be the most logical medium for the pari-mutuel games of chance by bringing two opposing industries together—the thoroughbred industry and the Internet gaming companies. This solution may help overcome the U.S. anti-gaming laws faced by the large companies who have almost completely shut down their U.S. operations, due to the fact that pari-mutuel wagering has not banned. The brick and mortar pari-mutuel wagering facilities, which can provide the events at considerable expense benefit from the accountability an international portal offers through the licensing and monitoring of wagers and thereby make certain each participating land based facility receives their share of the combined takeout from wagering on their races. No longer will any offshore outlet be able to steal and accept wagers without paying the simulcast fees, state and federal taxes, or be non-accountable for their action if they want to re-enter the U.S. market with new confidence and total security. But, of real importance, is the open door policy.

Live tables can be set up at licensed wagering outlets, racetracks, and anywhere where pari-mutuel racing is regulated and legal. The player approaches the table as he would a traditional craps table based on the outcome of dice. Drawn by the traditional look of the tables themselves, seasoned craps players will be attracted to the game, and the additional odds generated by the pari-mutuel odds add an increased attractiveness to these players. The pari-mutuel player can be drawn to the table because it offers alternative wagers for them to try their handicapping skills in an alternative wagering arena, hoping to out handicap those less seasoned. So there can be a mutual attraction to the game itself, as it offers.

Live simulcast races can be broadcast and televised on output displays throughout the wagering area, within clear site when possible, off all participants. Audio of the races will also enable the wager makers to hear each race amplified associated with the race determining the outcome of the wagering table and its participants. In one embodiment, hand held wager machines can help ease the flow and can eliminate the lines at track windows.

In one embodiment, the output displays can have a split screen. One part of the output display can show the live pari-mutuel racing event and the other part can depict animated icons that illustrate the die values associated with each pari-mutuel participant in that race as illustrated in FIG. 12A. In the animated icon part of the output display, each die value assigned to the pari-mutuel racing participant can be shown as an icon. Each icon can be the color associated with the pari-mutuel racing participant for easy identification by the players. The icons can move in real time and in-synch with the pari-mutuel racing participants to which they are assigned during the course of the race. This allows the players to quickly and easily follow the position of the die values during the course of the race even when it may be difficult to tell the actual position of each of the pari-mutuel racing participants on the output display due to, for example, close packing of the pari-mutuel racing participants, wide camera angle, bad weather, or combinations thereof. The entire order of the field of pari-mutuel racing participants can be displayed and updated. As shown in FIG. 12B, the die value icons can display real-time information regarding the pari-mutuel racing participant to which the die value icon is assigned. Such information can include, for example, the name of the participant, odds associated with the participant, the speed of the participants, or any other suitable information. Additionally, as shown in FIG. 12C, the output displays can show replays of the pari-mutuel racing event along with the replayed finish of the die value icons.

In the live onsite embodiment, wagers can be handled in two ways, electronically and traditionally. The latter would allow players to purchase wagering chips in varying denominations such as is found in a casino setting. Wagers are laid in the traditional fashion, places the chips on the table in the position(s) they want to wager. Once a wager is placed, it may not be moved, unless management sets rules to the contrary. The idea behind this captive wagering position regarding wagers being placed is to allow players to take advantage of early odds, while later entrants wagering different positions as the race odds change within seconds of the gates opening and the race closing additional wagers.

Craps offers many different ways to wager. There are some very simple wagers that work with favorable odds in the traditional game, but when combined with the pooled pari-mutuel odds, pari-mutuel craps offers even greater combinations of odds selections based on the number of potential final payoff combinations resulting from of the races representing the numbers formerly found on dice. The biggest distinction between traditional craps and pari-mutuel craps is the ability to handicap the results in pari-mutuel craps. Further, every traditional craps wager can be turned into a two-sided wagering pool by allowing wagers for the player, or for the house, thereby, effectively doubling the number of available wagers. All craps wagers eventually resolve with either the player or the house winning, thereby, allowing a simple two-event pari-mutuel racing event model.

The object of both traditional casino based craps and pari-mutuel craps is to predict the outcome of a roll of the dice. What is significantly different in this game of chance is the ability to make a wager that lasts for more than one roll, in fact some wagers by their nature will last for many rolls. There is no clear or accepted way to wager this game, each player has their favorite plan of attack, aggressive or passive.

In another embodiment, the utility of the pari-mutuel racing event wherein like games rules are associated with the exception of replacing the outcome of two dice with outcome of a series of pari-mutuel racing event results. One such game of chance is backgammon. These results are based on the outcome of a fixed number of races with participants given a time limit to choose the pari-mutuel racing event, from a series of pari-mutuel racing events, and selecting the pari-mutuel racing events in instead of rolling the dice. The time limits will predetermine and gauged by a timer, much like those used in chess games, will designate the time limits. Random selection of pari-mutuel racing events as chosen by management will automatically become the choice of any player who doesn't select a pari-mutuel racing event within the time limit.

Both an online version and on site version would utilize a series of pari-mutuel racing events offered from around the world and individual one-on-one opponent structures as well as limited and unlimited satellite tournaments would be coordinated to attract larger player fields and prizes. One of the unique attributes of time limits and a selection of pari-mutuel racing events allows each player to handicap a series of pari-mutuel racing events while increasing the action associated with a game based on fast activity accelerated by and distinguished from ordinary dice rolled Backgammon in that players have the opportunity to participate on a skill level based “next move,” dependent on their ability to select which pari-mutuel racing events they choose, and the odds associated with the needed, or optimum, numbers potentially resulting from their selection.

All other aspects of the centuries old rules associated with the game of Backgammon will remain as close to the widely accepted principles of the game itself, notwithstanding the above mentioned pari-mutuel based alternative model.

In another embodiment, card games of chance, such as, for example Blackjack and poker, can be played using pari-mutuel racing events. A new card deck type, will have a card value of 13 cards drawn from four suits (Hearts, Spades, Diamonds, Clubs) replicating a standard deck of cards with individual pari-mutuel racing event participants. Values can be both “open” as in games that involve mutual cards such as the five table cards in a standard “Texas Hold'em,” or dealt as up cards in standard stud based games. Players will select a hand, or position, from which to co-participate, while others will select beforehand which player “Position,” they will wager on, opting to remain or opt-out as wagering progresses. Prize pools will be supplemented by pari-mutuel handles.

It is noted that terms like “preferably,” “commonly,” and “typically” are not utilized herein to limit the scope of the claimed invention or to imply that certain features are critical, essential, or even important to the structure or function of the claimed invention. Rather, these terms are merely intended to highlight alternative or additional features that may or may not be utilized in a particular embodiment of the present invention.

For the purposes of describing and defining the present invention it is noted that the term “substantially” is utilized herein to represent the inherent degree of uncertainty that may be attributed to any quantitative comparison, value, measurement, or other representation. The term “substantially” is also utilized herein to represent the degree by which a quantitative representation may vary from a stated reference without resulting in a change in the basic function of the subject matter at issue.

Having described the invention in detail and by reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be apparent that modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims. More specifically, although some aspects of the present invention are identified herein as preferred or particularly advantageous, it is contemplated that the present invention is not necessarily limited to these preferred aspects of the invention. 

1. A method of playing a game of chance, the method comprising: mapping participants in a pari-mutuel racing event to a die value; wagering a wager in the game of chance based on a predicted sum of two die values; assigning the sum of two die values according the die values mapped to the participant who finished the pari-mutuel racing event first and participant who finished the pari-mutuel racing event second; and dividing a pool of wagers amongst the players who wagered a winning wager in the game of chance.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the die value mapped to the participant is based on the order of the participants in the pari-mutuel racing event.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein wagering the wager in the game of chance further comprising: selecting a player pool from which to wager.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein wagering the wager in the game of chance further comprising: selecting a house pool from which to wager.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the game of chance is craps.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the game of chance is backgammon.
 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: repeating the die values after the sixth participant.
 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: multiplying the first place finisher by two when the last participant finishes second and when there are less than twelve participants.
 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising: handicapping the predicted sum of two die values based on the odds of the pari-mutuel racing event.
 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising: rearranging the die value assignments based on the odds of a participant winning.
 11. The method of claim 1, further comprising: making available the die assignment for each participant prior to the start of the pari-mutuel racing event.
 12. The method of claim 1, further comprising: assigning the odds of a particular wager of the game of chance based on the odds assigned to the participants.
 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: updating the assignment of the odds of a particular wager of the game of chance based on the odds assigned to the participants up to the start of the pari-mutuel racing event.
 14. The method of claim 1, further comprising: carrying over the pool of wagers.
 15. The method of claim 1, further comprising: using pari-mutuel racing events results from remote sites, local sites or combinations thereof.
 16. The method of claim 1, further comprising: using pari-mutuel racing events results from randomly selected historic pari-mutuel racing events.
 17. The method of claim 1, further comprising: displaying the results of both the pari-mutuel racing event and the mapped die values simultaneously on an output device.
 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising: assigned a color to the displayed die values based on a color attributed to the participant to which the die value was assigned.
 19. The method of claim 17, wherein displaying the results on the output device from a local location, a remote location or a combination of locations thereof.
 20. The method of claim 1, further comprising: playing back the results of both the pari-mutuel racing event and the mapped die values simultaneously on an output device.
 21. A method of playing a game of chance, the method comprising: mapping participants in a pari-mutuel racing event to a playing card value; wagering a wager in the game of chance based on a hand of playing card values; assigning the hand of playing cards according the playing card values mapped to the first participant finisher and second participant finisher in the pari-mutuel racing event; and dividing a pool of wagers amongst the players with winning hands of playing cards.
 22. The method of claim 20, wherein the game of chance is blackjack.
 23. The method of claim 20, wherein the game of chance is poker.
 24. A method of playing a game of chance, the method comprising: mapping participants in a pari-mutuel racing event to a die value based on the odds assigned to the participant; wagering a wager in the game of chance based on a predicted sum of two die values; selecting a pool from which to wager; assigning the sum of two die values according the die values mapped to the first participant finisher and second participant finisher in the pari-mutuel racing event; and dividing a pool of wagers amongst the players who wagered a winning wager. 